England stare at black hole

Stuart Lancaster faces an anxious wait with only six key starters likely to be available for England's first Test in New Zealand

Sale’s Danny Cipriani could be welcomed back to the England fold (Ben Hoskins)

ENGLAND will go into the First Test of their crucial series against the world
champion All Blacks in Auckland in three weeks with a drastically weakened
team containing only six regular starters.

With no players from Aviva Premiership finalists Northampton and Saracens to
be considered for the first international and a significant injury list,
Stuart Lancaster,the England coach, has problems in the front row and, with
Mike Brown hobbling from the field yesterday, at full-back. Leicester’s
inconsistent Mathew Tait would stand in if Brown’s injury proves serious.

The major crisis is at hooker. If Bath’s Rob Webber does not recover from
injury in time to tour — and no one at Bath is confident — Lancaster will
have to start with possibly a sixth-choice hooker and will have to play an
eighth-choice in the midweek match against the Crusaders in Christchurch,
possibly with his ninth choice on the bench.